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Overview of committees

The Board

HEE’s Board provides strategic leadership and accountability to government, Parliament, and the public. The Board is supported by committees which undertake detailed scrutiny in their areas of responsibility, providing regular reporting, and formal assurance.

The Board is HEE’s senior decision making forum. It has reserved key decisions and matters for itself, including strategic direction, overseeing delivery of the agreed strategy, the approach to risk, and establishing HEE’s culture and values. They are set out in the Scheme of Delegation. Key responsibilities to support its strategic leadership to the organisation include:

  • approving the business plan and monitoring performance against it
  • holding HEE to account for performance and its proper running (including operating in accordance with legal and governance requirements)
  • determining which decisions it will make and which it will delegate to the Executive via the Scheme of Delegation
  • ensuring high standards of corporate governance and personal conduct
  • providing effective financial stewardship
  • promoting effective dialogue with government departments, other ALBs, and stakeholders.

Committees

HEE’s committees are designed to assure the Board that areas delegated to them are being dealt with appropriately, aligned to their areas of responsibility and the Board Assurance Framework. They also, by exception, escalate issues that merit full Board discussion and decision. They allow the Board to deliver its responsibilities more succinctly, creating time to engage with HEE colleagues and develop strategy around major priorities. The Committees include:

Audit and Risk Committee (ARC)

Provides the Board with an independent and objective review of the adequacy and effectiveness of the Body’s internal control environment. It oversees internal audit, external audit, risk management, the annual report and accounts and related financial matters.

Recent recommendation for ARC was that it should add further responsibility in the general area of value for money and resource allocation, which would include our programmes around ICS funding and METIP.

Remuneration Committee (RemCom)

Approves the appropriate remuneration and terms of service for the Chief Executive, Directors, and other Executive Senior Managers. In addition, the Committee will consider some issues in relation to all HEE staff.

Performance and Business Committee (PBC)

Provides scrutiny and oversight of HEE’s performance to ensure strategic goals, business objectives and resource allocation are appropriate and that a culture of continuous improvement is developed. The committee’s purpose is to ensure the right data and that the right people have access to the data.

Originally this committee was named Performance Assurance Committee (PAC), however recent recommendation that it should ensure assurance around business operations such as Digital First, core education and training delivery, and Operating Model, led to its change in title.

People and Culture Committee (PCC)

Oversees HEE’s approach to implementing the Long-Term and People Plans (and any subsequent system wide strategies or policies deemed appropriate by the Committee with the agreement of the Board) relating to HEE’s obligations as an employer. It supports HEE’s aim of becoming the Best Place to Work and will consider issues relating to all HEE colleagues.

Originally called People Committee (PC), recent recommendation recognised that its remit across Best Place to Work also encompasses values and behaviours, WRES and WDES – thus leading to the change in title.

People’s Advisory Forum (PAF)

Supports HEE's commitments to ensuring voices of the public, patients and carers are central to its work and decision making.

Quality Committee (QC)

This new committee is responsible for overseeing the work nationally and locally around HEE’s statutory duty to ensure, and improve, the quality of clinical education and training. This helps place quality more centrally and supports the quality framework refresh.

If you have any questions regarding the Board and its committees, please email heeboardandcommittees@hee.nhs.uk